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Vitani/Main article
|name = Vitani |meaning = Ducks War (Vita)http://africanlanguages.com/swahili/ I Am (Ni) |gender = Female |species = Lion |affiliations = Outsiders (formerly) Pridelanders (currently) |titles = Scout Second-in-Command |appearances = The Lion King II: Simba's Pride |close relations = Zira (mother) Kovu (brother) Nuka (brother) }} Vitani is the tertiary antagonist in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. She is the first Outsider to openly join the Pridelanders. Appearance As a cub, Vitani is small and scrawny with a slightly oversized head. Her poor physical condition is most likely due to a severe lack of food and water in the Outlands, which causes her to grow up undersized and with little muscle definition. Her fur is colored a dark tawny broken only by patches of light fur on her muzzle, paws, and underbelly. Like her mother, she sports dark eye rims and sharp angular features, but unlike most females, she possesses triangular-shaped electric blue eyes and a head tuft. As a young adult, Vitani retains her slight build, though she proves herself to be lithe and strong when she knocks her younger brother unconscious with a single kick upon noticing his interference after he is reformed. Her fur remains long and scruffy as a young adult, but her upper body grows noticeably stronger. Like most Outsiders, her claws are permanently extended. Vitani's fur gets darker as a young adult, as do her eyes, which turn a deeper blue, but her hair tuft begins to recede, and she gains dark rims on her ears. Vitani bears freckles, an unusual feature among lions. Of all Zira's cubs, Vitani resembles her mother the most. She inherits Zira's long wiry build and sharp angular features as well as her dark tawny fur and dark eye rims. She also sports the typical Outsider nose and permanently extended claws. Personality Even as a cub, Vitani displays aggressive characteristics, taking enjoyment in taunting and fighting her brothers. Despite her more violent tendencies, Vitani is known to be a stickler to the rules, following her mother without question and not doubting Kovu as Nuka so often does. Her attitude, even as a cub, is confident and spunky, and she's not afraid to outwit her larger and older brother. Vitani seems to have picked up a mocking nature from her mother, which she tends to use against Nuka. Even as a young adult, she is shown picking at Nala over the disappearance of Kiara. Her violent nature has no doubt grown steadily worse, as she seems to take great enjoyment in fighting and chasing Simba during the ambush, grinning maniacally throughout the chase. Her ruthless nature shows through in her eagerness to fight, and her rash words mark her almost stupidly brave. If not for the softness she displays at the end of the film, she'd be almost identical to Zira. Vitani's soft side shows through when she is the first of the Outsiders to join Simba's pride. This daring action showcases her courageous side, as she is not only willing to stand up to her mother but to her entire pride. Brash and vicious as she is, Vitani is level-headed and not nearly as cruel as her vengeful mother. Despite being raised to fight and kill, Vitani sees the appeal and reason in peace and is willing to take a stand for what's right. Information Backstory As suggested by the film, Vitani was born a Pridelander shortly before the fall of Scar and was exiled to the Outlands along with her mother, brothers, and Scar's band of loyal followers. Unlike Nuka, she never seemed to resent Kovu for being the chosen one. ''The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Cubhood As a cub, Vitani battles with a dry tree root, sparing her approaching older brother Nuka a glaring glance when she hears his jeering taunts. She ignores him and continues to tug on the root, only truly acknowledging him when he cuts it with his claw. Growling, Vitani rises and asks Nuka about Kovu's whereabouts. She is displeased when the older lion makes it clear that he doesn't care about Kovu's well-being but smirks when he complains about how he should have been the chosen one, not Kovu. Vitani scoffs, daring Nuka to tell this to Zira before pointing out that their mother has arrived. Zira ignores Nuka, depositing Kovu onto the dry, cracked ground, where Vitani goads Kovu into a playful fight. Shortly after Zira's return, Vitani is seen singing "My Lullaby," accompanying her mother and brother in song. While Nuka clearly disapproves of Kovu becoming king, Vitani doesn't seem to mind, protecting him from Nuka and enthusiastically cheering upon Zira's request. Young Adulthood Vitani is first seen as a young adult side-by-side with her brother Nuka in the Elephant Graveyard. The two overlook the area, and Vitani scoffs at Nuka's discomfort. She then leaps down ahead of him, setting two sticks over a geyser, and smirks at Nuka when he is scared by the rising steam. Rolling her eyes, she picks up her lit stick, and the two head into the Pride Lands, setting it on fire when they spot Kiara hunting. During their arsoning, Nuka accidentally surrounds himself in the flame, and after he comically escapes, Vitani snatches him from view. Much later, following Kovu's acceptance into the enemy pride, Vitani witnesses Kovu entering the royal den with Simba's approval under the cover of the night sky, at first enthusiastically and silently urging Kovu to attack. When he enters peacefully, she snarls, turning tail and fleeing from the Pride Lands to report the news to Zira. Her mother asks for definite confirmation about Kovu's betrayal, and Vitani sticks to her story, reminding Zira that she saw it with her own eyes. During the ambush, Vitani takes up a position on Simba's back, sinking her claws into his shoulder and her hind claws into his hindquarters. When Kovu starts swatting some of the Outsiders away in an attempt to help Simba fend them off, she notices his interference and delivers a powerful kick directly to his head, sending him flying into a nearby boulder, which knocks him unconscious. When Nuka tackles Simba off the ledge, Vitani is the first to lunge at him, missing by a hair. As Simba begins to climb the logs clogging the gorge and kicks some down in the process, Vitani watches angrily as their target gets away. Kovu appears, and she waits for him to push Simba down to his death, but he refuses, so Nuka pursues Simba instead. Both Zira and Vitani watch in horror as a log gives under Nuka's hind paw, and he plummets toward the bottom of the dam to his death. Vitani looks on as her mother savagely digs Nuka's head out from underneath the rubble, revealing his gasping form. He says his last words, and Vitani delivers a final "Nuka..." before hanging her head. After Nuka dies, Zira directs her rage at Kovu, giving him a scar, and Vitani snarls alongside her mother at Kovu's treacherous act. After Kovu runs off, she eagerly listens to her mother for further instructions as to how they can claim the Pride Lands as their own. Vitani stays close by Zira as they intrude the Pride Lands and chooses Nala as her main opponent. They have a brief exchange and then lunge for one another, rolling in the mud. The fighting goes on until Kovu and Kiara arrive, standing in-between their respective parent to keep them from fighting. Kiara speaks reason to Simba, telling him that the fighting must stop. Simba tries to refute his daughter, but Kiara explains that the Outsiders are just like the Pridelanders. Vitani is the first of the Outsiders to realize what this means and refuses Zira's order to attack, joining the Pridelanders alongside her brother. Zira threatens her daughter's life for betraying her pride, but Vitani stands firm, and the other Outsiders decide to join Simba's pride as well. Following her mother's death, Vitani presumably lives the remainder of her life on Pride Rock with the Pridelanders. Family Members * Mother: Zira * Brothers: Nuka and Kovu * Sister-in-Law: Kiara Voice Actors * The Lion King II: Simba's Pride - (1998) - (film) – Lacey Chabert (cub), Jennifer Lien (young adult) Trivia * When Nala confronts Vitani during the final battle, she appears to say "Shetani" rather than "Vitani," pointing out the potential that the name was changed after production had already begun. The name "Vitani" means "battle" in Swahili, and the filmmakers may have changed her name to Vitani because "Shetani" means "she-demon" in Swahili.http://africanlanguages.com/swahili/ Interestingly, the word "vitani" is actually the Swahili word for both "ducks" (in the plural sense, where "kitani" is singular) and "linens," though it is unlikely that the writers would have known this.http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b356/ggctuk/SwahiliTani_zps946f8788.jpg Gallery References Category:Animals Category:Antagonists Category:Characters Category:Female Characters Category:The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Characters Category:Lionesses Category:Lions Category:Movie Characters Category:Official Characters Category:Outsiders Category:Pridelanders Category:Siblings